David Moulton: Lauding Missy Franklin for doing things her way

United States' Missy Franklin competes in the women's 200-meter backstroke final at the Aquatics Centre in the Olympic Park during the 2012 Summer Olympics in London, Friday, Aug. 3, 2012. Franklin won the gold.(AP Photo/Julio Cortez)

AP

David Moulton

There are many great stories and achievements by U.S. athletes so far in the Summer Olympics. Missy Franklin is my favorite.

Not to take anything away from inspirational Gabby Douglas or the historic brilliance of Michael Phelps. But Franklin's story is so nostalgic.

There is much about sports that is better today than in past generations, but how we produce champions is not always one of them.

Today we force kids to pick a sport instead of playing multiple ones. Academies in gymnastics, swimming, tennis (and to some extent golf and hockey) have largely taken the place of high schools, clubs and families staying intact.

In order to be the best you have to do it a certain way, they now say. That "way" is when your child prodigy gets to a certain age, often no later than ninth grade, you send them away from home. They go train with the best coaches and with and against the other best child prodigies in the world.

That is the new normal at the elite level. No high school, often no college and living hundreds if not thousands of miles away from your friends and family before you are old enough to have a driving permit.

In a day and age of specialization in sports — on the field and off — Missy and her parents did it so differently. They stayed home.

Instead of moving to California or Florida, where the elite swimmers go because that's what you do, Missy had another idea. She looked back at the "establishment" from Colorado and wondered, "Why would I move away from my friends and family? I'll be miserable and if I'm not happy, I won't swim better."

The "establishment" argued, "Well, you'll get better coaching if you come with us." Missy said, "Seems to be working pretty well with the guy who grew up in that swimming hotbed of North Dakota so far. Known him since I was 7. Why do I need a new one?"

Funny, over time the sports "establishment" has forgotten that Vince Lombardi and John Wooden were both high school coaches. For a combined 19 years. Boy, if only those high school kids had received some good coaching, maybe with an AAU or traveling team. Imagine what they would have become?

So Missy stayed, living with her, get this, parents! She went to high school with her friends and swims weekdays with the local "club" team. Amazingly, none of this prevented her from attending elite meets, qualifying for U.S. national teams and being one of the very best in the world.

With all of her success comes a bunch of companies wanting to throw a lot of money her way. A few hundred thousand dollars to be exact. Only problem is, if Missy accepts it, she can still swim for Team USA in future Olympics but won't be able to swim for her college team.

For most of us and certainly all of the "establishment," that's no problem. Cash the checks and be a professional swimmer, right? Wrong. The 17-year-old high school senior is adamant about going to and swimming in, get this, college.

That's so 20th century.

When I think of Missy and her parents there's a part of me that hears the whistling theme of the Andy Griffith Show in the background as this story plays out. Except Missy doesn't go to high school in Mayberry, she does so in Aurora, Colo. Which lends greater meaning to her achievements in London (three golds entering the weekend), if only so those back home have had something to be happy about again.

So here's to Missy Franklin, her parents and their family story.

I'm not naive enough to think this is going to change how we produce great individual athletes in the 21st century.

It's just nice to know that "old school" still works.

David Moulton is a freelance writer and co-host of "Miller and Moulton in the Afternoon," which airs weekdays 2 to 7 p.m. on WWCN/AM 770 ESPN. His column appears Sunday, Wednesday and Friday.